FCCPC orders manufacturers, distributors to withdraw improperly labelled goods

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has mandated manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to withdraw the sale of consumer goods that fail to meet mandatory product labelling requirements. Businesses persisting in distributing or selling non-compliant products risk regulatory enforcement.

This directive was announced in a public advisory issued on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, under the title "Mandatory Labelling of Manufactured Goods for Consumer Information." The FCCPC's market surveillance and quality assurance activities revealed consumer goods containing misleading or deceptive information, as well as products lacking essential labelling details.

These deficiencies include the absence of production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer specifics, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin, and other mandatory label requirements. The FCCPC's mandate under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) is to promote consumer safety by ensuring businesses adhere to applicable labelling standards set by regulatory bodies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Proper labelling is crucial for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and to prevent health, safety, and economic risks associated with deceptive, incomplete, or misleading product labels. The FCCPC encourages consumers to scrutinise product labels before making purchases and to avoid goods with missing, illegible, altered, misrepresented, or poor-quality labels.

The Commission's consumer-rights guidance underscores consumers' right to clear product information and proper labelling. It also advises consumers to exercise caution in their purchasing behaviour, as awareness of risks does not necessarily lead to safer choices, underscoring the necessity of both consumer education and robust enforcement of labelling standards.

The FCCPC has previously taken enforcement actions against other consumer protection violations, including a recent investigation into the cement industry concerning pricing concerns. In 2024, the Commission criticised dealers for selling BUA Cement at prices ranging from N7,000 to N8,000 per bag, far exceeding the company's recommended price of N3,500 at the time.